The Boarding House: A Tonks,Lupin,Snape story
by toonmili
Summary: Remus walked out on Tonks four years ago. She has spent three years looking for him. What happens when she finds Severus Snape instead of Remus. Why is it that Severus seems to know where he is but is urging her to go home and not bother to see him at all
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: The Boarding House

SUMMARY: While searching for Remus, Tonks is staying at a boarding house with a mysterious tenant.

SETTING: Post War.

RATING: PG

PARING: It's about Remus/Tonks but there are suggestions of Snape/Tonks ( I'm weird like that)

GENRE: Romance, Angst.

SETTING: It is impossible to tell what country they are in and city is totally fictional.

Nymphadora Tonks looked down at the words scribbled by her own hand. A stranger on the street recommended this place to her and she quickly scribbled it down. Mystic Boarding House was a small house in the back streets of big old city that looked like it had been ripped form a fairy tale. Even though the new millennium was well upon them, this city, placed on the edge of a shining bay hardly ever saw a car on the cobbled stoned street, you could still buy a baguette on the corner of the street with pocket change and strangers still greeted you with a smile. It was the sort of place Tonks envisioned she and Remus could live. This was a city where you could have absolutely nothing and have everything at the same time. And that was exactly what brought Tonks to this place, Remus

It had been four years since the war was over. It was a time everyone was looking forward to but no one more than Tonks. She was certain after the fighting was over she and Remus would finally be able to live together in peace, which was all the wanted really. But with the end of the war came surprising consequences. Everyone seemed to disappear, everyone seemed to run and never look back. And unfortunately for her Remus was among them. He didn't stay long afterwards. He was in deepest spot of depression about everything that had happened. She always thought that it would get better after a while but she never got a chance to find out. On a stormy Friday night, she came from work soaked and tired to find that he left with a note behind that read one word, 'sorry'.

She had spent the last three years looking for him. She had been form village to village, town to town and city to city, in hopes of finding him. She had been in this particular city for a little longer than an hour. The city was large and she knew it would take at least a couple of days to search properly. She came to the Mystic Boarding House hearing about a vacancy from the very stranger who vacated the spot.

She walked up a long narrow flight of stairs came to a stop in front of a red door. She pressed an eclectic buzzer that emitted a melody beyond the door. She stood dropped her travelling bag at her foot and waited for an answer.

A small skinny boy who could be no older than ten pulled open the door and smiled at her. "Good day mam, how can I help you?"

She smiled down at the boy. "Good day to you too, I'm looking for the landlord of the house."

-o-o-

The area where she just left had a large kitchen and a dining area with seats for over forty tenants. The rooms were further upstairs. The creaking staircase led to long corridor with rooms numbered one to forty on both ends. The landlord, Mr. Bates, walked down the hall and stopped at a red door with the number thirty two painted in black.

"This is the room. You're really lucky Mr. Javier just left earlier this morning."

"Yes I met him, he told me about the place."

He smiled, pushing open the door. "There you have it, it's destiny."

The room was a modest looking room. The most outstanding feature was the large king size bed that sat between two side tables. There was a small table in the room that was placed by the only window in the room that gave a view of the sparkling ocean. The only other thing of note was the old TV set that sat in front of the bed.

"We don't get cable but the local channels are pretty good."

She nodded. She didn't grow up watching TV and she doubted that she would mind what programmes were on TV. She was more concerned about the fact the there was no bathroom in the room. "And where do I take a bath?" she asked.

"There are communal bathrooms at the end of the hall. We have ten and we clean them everyday."

She was not too comfortable with having to share a bathroom with thirty nine other people but it was a small sacrifice considering how cheap the place was. She could live there forever and not run out of money.

"If you need anything just ask any one of the tenants, were all friends here," Mr Bates said smiling. He handed her a ring of keys with two individual keys on it. "I can tell you will fit right in."

"Thanks," she said.

The middle aged man walked to the door and stopped and turned back at her. "I should tell you that the man in room thirty one is a little odd, it would be best not to disturb him."

"Okay," she said.

"Lunch is at twelve."

-o-o-

She had been in the city for a week already and she hadn't managed to make her way through a quarter of the it. She spent most of her days walking in street after street asking people if they recognised the man in the picture, no one did. By the time she reached home it would be time for dinner to be served. Mr. Bates was right, she did get along with everyone in the place, it was so easy because everyone so nice. They would all sit for at the long dinning table for dinner and exchange stories with one another. It reminded her of Hogwarts start of term feast. She would always get a warm fuzzy feeling when ever she ate with them.

On Sunday she stayed home to have lunch with everyone. They were all talking about the mysterious man in thirty one, the room opposite hers. She shad never seen the man but she knew from the others that he was quite an enigma. He hardly ever left the room and when he did no one would see him leaving or coming. She learnt that this man spoke to no one, ate alone and did not like to be bothered. There was a rumour that he had lost his wife in a horrible boating accident and changed ever since. It was an ongoing joke in the place and she liked taking part in it.

When Mr. Bates asked her to carry his food to him she jumped at the opportunity. She took the large tray of food and walked up the rickety stairs, careful not the throw it down. She stopped at the room next opposite hers and balanced the tray in one hand and knocked with the other. "I have your lunch," she said.

She waited for an answer and after about a minute she heard someone stirring behind the door. She felt a little smile come on her face. She was about to see the mystery tenant.

A man in his early forties, with a pale face and a hooked nose looked at her. She could hardly believe her eyes. There was Severus Snape, standing at the door. He looked quite different from the last time she saw him. His hair had been cut and did not reach past his ear in length, he was no longer thin and stickly looking, he had gained some weight but not too much.

"Nymphadora, what are you doing here?" he asked through his teeth.

"I live in this house," she said still staring at him in fascination. After killing Voldemort, he had just disappeared; no one knew where he went. "I haven't seen you in..."

"Four years, I know and I would have preferred if it remained that way. Is there any particular reason you are here of all places?"

She passed her hand through her hair. She knew that he would not like the answer. Everyone thought she was pathetic for doing it but she had to. "I'm looking Remus?"

Just as she expected, he looked at her with scorn. He took the tray from her hands and shut the door in her face.

Her brain tried to process what had just happened. She use to wonder what had happened to him but she was too preoccupied thinking about Remus to care. She had been travelling for such a long time it felt good to see a familiar face, even though it was one that had no desire to see her.

-o-o-

Monday morning she decided to take a day off. She volunteered to carry up his breakfast for him this time. She took the tray of poppy seed muffins and coffee up to his room and knocked on the door.

He opened the door and took the tray from her without a word. He opened the door, indicating that she should enter. She was taken aback by this but entered anyway. His room was identical to hers, except his window did not overlook the ocean but the city.

"Sit," he commanded. She took a seat by the table that was placed by the window and he took the seat opposite her. With the light hitting his eyes she could that his eyes were actually brown. "Has Remus been in contact with you?"

She looked away from him. "Well no," she said.

"Has it occurred to you that he doesn't want to be found?" he asked.

She couldn't understand why he was even talking to her about this. It really wasn't any of his business. "If you know Remus like I do you'll know that he is just afraid."

"Of what?"

"Hurting me, he seems to think that I don't know what I want and that I will wake up one day and realise that I don't love him."

"And is there any chance you will give up the idea of being with him?"

That was an odd sort of question. "No," she firmly. "I know he wants to be with me too, he just has to allow himself to live without caring so much about being a werewolf." There was no doubt in her mind that that was the root of her problems.

"Nymphadora, spare yourself the heartache, please go home."

She looked at him and frowned, it was just like him to dismiss something like love so easily. "I gave up everything for him, my job, my friends and family, he is my home."

He looked at her for a moment as if constructing a sentence in his head. "He doesn't love you Nypmahdora, you need to go home, there is nothing for you here?"

She looked at him with her brows drawn together. She could feel her blood boiling. How dare he say that. "Do you even know what love is Severus? Have you ever had love; have you ever been in love, has anyone ever loved you? You are just a bitter man who wishes to spread his doom to everyone else. I have something that you will never have and it is that that makes you so envious of me. You never liked the idea of me being with Remus because it would mean that I would be happy and you can't bear the thought of anyone else being happy because you are a miserable excuse for a man. No wonder everyone hated you."

He looked at her eyes, his expression unchanged. He nodded. He got up from the table and walked to the side counter by the bed and took a piece of paper and pen and scribbled something on it. He handed it to her and walked to the door and held it open.

She got up from the chair and made her way out the door, clutching the paper in her hands. He slammed the door shut behind her. She could still feel her blood boiling at what he said. No one had ever said more painful words to her. She walked in her room and finally took the piece of paper and opened. Written on the paper was an address.

-o-o-

She looked at the oak door and took a deep breath. She passed her hand through her hair and felt her lips to make sure the gloss was still on. If Severus was telling the truth this was where Remus lived. She had actually been in the right city, although she wasn't sure if she would have found the place as it was a bit out of the way.

She knocked on the door and waited. When she heard a voice say, 'One moment' she knew that Severus wasn't lying. This was really the address where Remus lived. She felt her heart begin to pound so heavily that she was certain that it was going to beat out of her chest.

He opened the door and his face came into view. She heard herself let out a cry. She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around him, kissing him all over.

"Tonks," he said after a while. He began to stiffen in her embrace. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

She still had her arms around him when the tears started to flow. "Remus, do you have any idea how long I have been looking for you?"

He was quiet. She finally decided to unwrap her arms from around him to have a better looked at his face. He didn't look as tired as he did the last time she saw him. He looked well rested and healthy. He was smiling pleasantly at her but not as pleasantly as she would have hoped. "What's the matter, aren't you happy to see me."

"Yes, of course I am, it's just that you caught me at a bad moment."

"Caught you at a bad moment?" She had been looking for him for three years and all he could say was that she caught him at a bad moment.

"Well yes, I'm a bit busy you see..."

She could feel her heart begin to sink, this was not the reaction she was expecting. She looked at him questioningly. He just looked back at her like he expected her to read his mind.

"Remus, who's at the door," she heard a voice ask. It was a soft, slightly high voice, the voice of a woman. She saw Remus close his eyes at the sound. Tonks stared at him, she couldn't understand what was going on.  
The source of the voice came into view seconds later. She had the most striking pair of blue eyes she had ever seen and a soft smile that could light up a room. She looked at Tonks and smiled. She placed her hand on Remus' back and rubbed his shoulders while staring at her. Her heart had actually stopped beating.

"Who's this?" asked the beautiful woman.

Remus took a while to answer. "An old friend from London," he finally said.

The woman's face widen with delight. "I have been dying to meet one of Remus' friends. I always wondered if I married a man with no friends."

Married, they were married.

The woman came out from behind Remus and she could finally see that her belly was full and round, she was carrying. Tonks looked down at her and then to Remus. He looked like he was in physical pain.

"Why are you in the hall, come in and have some tea."

Tonks just kept staring at her, wide eyed and back to Remus again. "I can't," she finally said. "I just stopped by to say hello." She said. She could tell from the woman's attitude that Remus had not told her about her.

"Oh, that's a shame. How long are you in town, maybe we can reschedule."

"I'm not sure I will be here for much longer. I was just passing trough really."  
The words were actually painfully difficult to say, there was a heavy lump in her throat that was making it almost impossible to speak but she managed to say what she had to say and smile at all the right times.

"Oh well," she said and she genuinely sounded disappointed. "It was nice meeting you." She extended her hand and Tonks took it and shook it quickly.

"Well I best be off," she said smiling. She looked at Remus, he had a very apologetic look on his face. "It was nice seeing you Remus and meeting your beautiful wife..."

"Chelsea, like the city," she prompted.

"Chelsea," Tonks said smiling at her. "Good luck with the baby."

"Thanks, we're hoping for a girl this time."

"Oh so you have another baby. He must be only year?"

"He's two actually."

"Fantastic," she said smiling at her and then looking at Remus. She had never been more embarrassed in all her life. "Well I'm off," she said waving. She walked down the stairs and back onto the cobblestoned street.

-o-o-

Her feet were leading the way but she really wasn't sure where she was going. Three years she had spent looking fro him. She was so sure that if she found him that they would be together, that she would prove to him that she loved and would go any lengths for him. She had given up her job to travel all over Europe for him, she fought with her friends defending him and she hadn't spoken to mother in years because she didn't approve of their relationship. She had lost everything for him, she had nothing left.

-o-o-

When she reached back to the boarding house it was late in the afternoon. She snuck up to her room hoping to avoid everybody. She walked in her room and sat by the window. The sky was illuminated with violet and orange as the sun set on the horizon. She stared at the scene and listened to the sounds of the gulls crying as the blanket of black replaced the gold and rose that was there a moment before.

She felt empty. She couldn't bring herself to move, she couldn't bring herself to think about what happened. She kept asking herself, "what now." She let her relationship with Remus define her for so long she had no idea what do now that it was officially over.

There was a knock on the door. She felt like she should ignore it but she got up and answered it. There in the hall way was Severus. She opened the door for him to come in.

"Did you find him?" he asked.

She nodded and took a seat by the window.

"And?" he asked.

"Well he's happy, he has a good life now," she said trailing off, looking at the moon that had now risen in the sky.

"And how are you?" he asked with a tone that did not suggest that he cared to know the answer.

"I'm fine," she said smiling. "I'm happy for him, that he could find happiness. He has a beautiful wife and baby and another baby. I'm very happy for him. It's fantastic, I'm happy for him, very pretty wife and a baby. I'm really very very happy for him."

He was staring at her, he frowned. "Nymphadora, I tried to tell you... I'm sorry that you had to find out."

She got up from the chair and walked to the bed and laid down. "I'm not sorry, why should you be? I'm very happy for him."

"You said that already," he said. He followed her to the bed and sat next to her.

"That's because I am," she explained. She looked over at him and he stared at her. She was about to explain all the reason why she was so happy for him when he voice seized in her throat. Instead of words, a sob a came out. She covered her face with her hands because she felt embarrassed crying in fort of Severus. She felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt so ashamed. She'd been living in denial for the past four years. No wonder why he was never receptive to her. It wasn't so much that he was afraid to love it was just that he didn't love her. The pain was so overwhelming, her entire body ached; her hands felt heavy, her head throbbed, he skin burned and her throat felt dry and sore.

She sat up quickly and tired to wipe away the tears but it was replaced by new ones immediately.

"Lay back down," he instructed her.

She followed his instruction and found herself reaching out to him; she pulled him by his shirt bringing him down with her. He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. He stroked her hair gently as she cried.

"It's okay," he whispered to her and kissed forehead softly.

She closed the eyes at the sound of his voice, it was so soothing. At that moment she was very thankful that he was there. It was still the most painful experience in her life but he made it better.

A/N: Hey guys this is a bit of a depature for me, it's alot more discriptive than I usually write. I hope you enjoyed it. You can leave a review and tell me what you think about it. It was meant to be a one shot but I will continue it and have two more parts.


	2. Chapter 2

This is part two of my story. I think you guys will like it.

PART: II

A ray of light crept through the window of Nymphadora's room. He could feel the chill of the morning tickling his feet. Under his arm, she laid asleep with her palm opened across his chest. He could still see where the tears had dried on her face from the night before. Her pink hair that matched her cheeks fell dishevelled on the pillow. She felt so small and fragile to him. He was almost afraid to let her go; he felt like he did, she would shatter like a piece of delicate porcelain. He passed his hand trough her tresses once more. He frowned at the sight. He hated that she allowed a lesser mortal like Remus Lupin to break her sprit. She deserved so much more.

He slowly attempted to move his arm that had long fallen asleep under her weight without waking her. The change in his position caused her to move away from his embrace and turn her sleeping face from his gazing eyes.

He crept out of the bed and pulled on his shoes he took off the night before. He took one last look at her before leaving the room through the red door.

-o-o-

Severus sat at a round wooden table in a small kitchen with a two year old boy swinging from his leg. A smoking goblet lay in front of him and from beyond the fumes he could see a stressed Remus Lupin looking down at his hands.

"Dodger stop that, you're bothering uncle Severus," he mumbled.

Not to his surprised, the kid with ice blond hair carried on like he had not heard a word of what his father said. "It's quite alright, I'm not allergic to children you know," he said matter-of-factly.

Remus let out a heavy sigh and passed his hand through his hair. "How is she Severus?"

Severus drummed his fingers on the table. "How do you think she is?"

With his head in his hand, he mumbled, "I should talk to her, explain how it happened?"

"That's just the thing," Severus said watching as the child had taken a new interest in pulling at a piece of loose tread on his pants, "How did it happen."

He looked at his child. He got a far away look on his face, the past seemed to be reflected in his eyes. "When I came here I was in darkest place possible. I couldn't bear to be in my own presence. Everywhere I looked it seemed like nature would mock me. The sun was always shining, birds would perch on my window singing some happy melody and even the sunsets seemed more beautiful than usual. I was very lonely. When I met Chelsea we intended to keep each other company for one night."

Despite of fact that he preferred Nymphadora as a person he couldn't completely fault Lupin for what had happened. He felt the same way when he came to the city. A one night stand was all the emotional attachment he could allow himself to indulge in. He met a woman who just like him was at a junction in her life and was just passing through the city; it was a mutually beneficial agreement. He was fortunate that he never managed to form any permanent commitments with any of his partners.

"So I had to do the responsible thing, I had to marry her. And I can't say that I regret it, she has been a good wife to me, she gave a beautiful child and I am happy for the first time in a long time."

"I see what you're saying but at the same time. When I first met you had me believing that she ended the relationship. Now I find out form her that you left a note and walked out on her. I can't see why you would do that, knowing how fragile she is."

"I thought I was protecting her. When I left her I did it because I did love her."

"Well it didn't do her any good. I always thought you were too weak to deal with her."

He looked down at the child that now was chewing on the tread he retrieved form Severus's pants. "Maybe I was."

Severus got up from the table, and stepped away from the child. "Drink the potion straight. Don't come to my apartment. I will bring it here."

"I think I should stop by and explain to her."

Severus held up his hands. "Please don't, you'll only make it worse. I'll take care of her, I'll see she gets back to London okay.

"Tell her I'm sorry," Remus said.

Severus looked at him. "I really don't think that will make any difference."

-o-o-

She sat at the window looking out at the ocean. The sun was shining brightly, giving the ocean the effect of being covered in jewels. She could see birds hovering near the surface, diving for fish. She tried to focus on the scent of the salty ocean blowing into her room or at the sight of a fisher man in his boat heading off into the horizon. She tried to focus on anything that wasn't Remus or his bloody perfect wife.

Her hair fell damp, cascading down her shoulders in waves. She held some locks in her hand and examined it. During her shower it must have turned to its natural brown. Her bubblegum pink hair, that signified her hope more than anything else was gone. She was so certain that she had been right in loving Remus, that her feelings were returned. It hurt so much to think about it being over.

A felt a warm tear rolling down her face. She let it fall. It hardly made sense to wipe them away. They all came back anyway. She remembered how she cried the night before. She had position herself comfortably in Severus of all people's arm and cried and allowed him to hold her. He had a talent for kicking people when they were down but she saw none of that. He held her all right places, kissed her when she needed it and told her what she wanted to hear, that every thing would be alright and that it was not quite the disaster she imagined. But she knew it was a lie. She knew her life was a huge disaster and it was not likely to get better anytime soon. However, it felt good to hear him lie to her because his voice sounded so convincing when he told her she was worthy of more.

When she woke up that morning she found that he wasn't next to her like how the had fallen asleep the night before. She stayed in bed hoping that he would return but after an hour when he hadn't shown up in her room or his, she went to take a long shower, just to feel the water washing away all the tears she had shed the night before.

-o-o-

Around midday he walkedher room and sat opposite her and looked on at her.

"How are we feeling today?" he asked.

She looked at him and trying to force a smile to shine through her morbid expression. "I'm okay," she lied.

"The hair?" he asked, reaching out and holding a lock up to the sunlight.

She shrugged. "I felt like a change."

"Change it back," he said in a demanding tone that suggested the request should be fulfilled.

"Why?" she asked looking at him.

"Because if you sink into this it would be impossible to get you out, change it back and keep the way it is."

She had no idea why she felt it was okay for him to talk her like that or why she even listened but for some reasoned she concentrated with much more effort that it usually required and changed her hair back to the pink waves she came to the city with.

He moved his hand from her hair and to her cheeks. He cupped it gently, letting his thumb finger wipe away the tear that was falling down her cheeks again. "Now you look like you have some hope."

"He who lives on hope dies of starvation." She said looking at him in his eyes that were highlighted by the magnificence of the sunlight.

"Come now Nymphadora, not even I can be that pessimistic."

-o-o-

Snape was a very light sleeper; the slightest stir and he would be up and alert in a second. This was one of the things she noticed while sleeping next to him. It not like he had imposed himself upon her but rather it was her who imposed herself upon him. After two days of sleeping in his arms, she had grown to love the sensation. When he left her room the following night, she found that she couldn't sleep. She crept off her bed in the pitch black night and made her way to his door to knock. When he opened the door he didn't seem to need to ask her any questions. He let her in the room and allowed her to crawl under his covers with him. She couldn't determine why he allowed her to do this as he was always a very reserved person or why he saw it as his duty to take care of her. At first she thought just for a slight second that he was in love with her but then she realised that it couldn't be. If he loved her he would have wanted to make love to her and not once did he gave any sign that he wanted to. In fact it was almost odd that he had never once touched her inappropriately or even reacted to her touch when she pressed her body against his. He would wrap his arms around her waist or her shoulders, he would pass his fingers through her hair and make some comment about it, he would kiss her, forehead, cheeks and hands but he hand never kissed her on her lips, not even by accident. If she stayed close to him for the entire night, he wouldn't even attempt to move away because he had no reaction to it. It was like he wasn't aware that she was there except for the fact that he would talk to her every now and then.

In the day he was a different person. He would be cold and demanding and he would hardly ever touch her. He would leave for hours at a time and return in a grumpy mood. Sometimes he would act like he didn't want her around at all and then when she left him on his own he would demand that she return to his presence. It was almost like she was back at school and she was a student and he was a teacher again. But all of that would change once the night fell. He would treat her like she was a little thing that he needed to look after but rather a woman whose company he wanted.

It was definitely a good distraction from the fact that Remus was a few minutes away form her. If she spent all her time trying to figure out Severus, there was no way she could think about Remus.

It had become so easy to avoid the subject of Remus all together there were times when she actually forgot about him. It was easy to go to the restaurant around the corner and order a huge slice of Bavarian cream cake and a foamy cup off coffee and forget about the fact that she had no where to go and no one to go there with.

Everyday she found herself at this restaurant where there was soft music playing and lively conversation. Everyone around her would look so happy. It seemed to be the only mood the city would allow. The first time she came here she just sat in the corner with her cup of coffee stirring in sugar and watching everyone having a good time. When it became obvious that she was alone she had been invited to dine with almost everyone there, when she declined they insisted they order something to cheer her up. This was how she began her cake ritual. Someone ordered that very cake for her and she became addicted. The chocolate glaze and the custard filling had the effect of euphoria in a slice. She found herself happy just feeling the contrasting bitter sweet flavours mingle in the throat. It was the best part of her day.

It was a Saturday night and she had already been in the city two weeks when she met Severus sitting at the in house bar nursing a glass or dark liquor. She called him over to her table and he reluctantly took a seat opposite her while she slowly enjoyed her cake.

"Do you want a piece?"

He knitted his brows like it was the most absurd question he had ever been asked. "No," he said simply.

"Thank heavens I would have been devastated if you sad yes."

He looked at her and brought his drink up to his lips. She looked at him and smiled and took another piece of cake to her mouth. They sat there staring at each other. His eyes looked so dark in the dimness of the lights that emitted a soft glow. She could tell that there were a million things running trough his mind but she couldn't figure out what they were.

"I flattered that you find me so interesting that you feel the need to stare at me."

She bit her bottom lip and looked away from his gaze.

"Severus," she heard a disturbingly familiar voice say.

Nymphadora turned her head in the direction the voice was coming from. There, a table away from her and Severus was Chelsea. She was waving at Severus with her eyes sparkling and her hair shining and bouncing with her every move. The pregnant woman took it upon herself to vacate her seat and walk over to the where she and Severus were sitting.

"Severus, I thought I saw you sitting here." She started.

Severus didn't speak he just looked from Chelsea to Nymphadora like if asking permission to talk.

Chelsea followed Severus' eyes and it dropped on Nymphadora. "Hey, you're Remus' friend aren't you?"

She wanted to strike her across the face but instead she just nodded and took another piece of cake to calm her nerves.

"So you're still in town, I thought you were just passing trough."

She looked at her and smiled. "Oh I said that didn't I but I ran into Severus a couple to weeks ago and we were doing some catching up."

She mouth opened in realisation. "Oh, you two are on a date, am I disturbing. Remus is joining me any second now, maybe we could double."

"No we were actually getting ready to leave." Severus said, trying his best to sound disappointed.

She had no idea what she was doing but she started to speak. "Where are your manners Severus, we've hardly been here fifteen minutes. I think we can squeeze you two at our table."

-o-

Remus was now seated opposite Nymphadora and he and Chelsea were on either side of her. He looked at her as she rimmed her second drink with her fingers. The entire evening he was holding his breath thinking that she would say something that would make things complicated but she hadn't, for some reason she was acting like she and Remus were hardly friends when they knew each other back in London. He could tell from the small beads of sweat on Remus's forehead that he was deeply relieved and anxious at the same time.

"So," Chelsea started looking at Nympadora with a playful look in her eyes. "Give me some dirt on Remus, something really embarrassing."

Remus passed his hand over his forehead and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He noticed a hint of excitement flash across Nymphdora's eyes at the same moment. She had been good before then but he had a feeling that the reason why she invited them to sit was beginning to come into play.

She took a sip of her drink and looked at Chelsea and smiled. "I'm sure you realised by now that he can't hold his liquor."

"He hardly drinks at all. The strongest thing I have seen him drink is a beer."

"Well with good reason," Nypmhadora said. She then got a totally orchestrated pondering look on her face. "Should I tell you, she said. "No," I shouldn't."

Remus sat up straight in his chair and stared at her as if trying to get her stop through stares.

"Tell me," Chelsea urged on.

"Okay," she said smiling. "A friend of mine was actually crazy about Remus, totally in love," she started. Chelsea looked at Remus and smiled and he simply put his elbows on the table to prop his head up. "But he was never very receptive."

"That's just like him. It took years for him to talk freely to me."

Nymphdora had a look in her eyes that made Severus know she appreciated the irony of the moment. "Exactly," she said. "But this girlfriend of mine was having a drink with him one day and she swears that it was just one drink. She told me that he got so drunk that he was hugging and kissing everyone in the room and really making an ass of himself so she carried him to his room. He was still hugging and kissing and then he started touching. She told him that he was drunk and he actually started to cry."

Chelsea seemed amused by the story. "He's one of those who gets sad when they drink?"

"That's what I think. She said that he started to cry and say; oh, no one loves me, why don't you love me. I love you, I'll give you everything you want if you love me, please say you love me. And he apparently went on like this for an hour until she said that she loved him."

"And," Chelsea asked, now slightly worried about the idea of Remus loving anyone else.

Severus looked at Nypmhadora closely trying to catch her eye. He knew she was trying to hurt Remus but it would have been a whole other thing to hurt Chelsea, she really didn't have anything to do with it. She was innocent. Nymphadora took another sip of drink.

"Don't worry it was a whole bunch of crap. He didn't mean a word of it and forgot he even said it. They did date for a little while after but they broke up because he got bored I guess."

"I wasn't bored," Remus said quietly. "Don't talk like that, especially when I'm right here."

Nymphadora eyes opened in surprise. "Oh he likes to be the innocent one all the time, poor Remus right."

"I don't like to be the innocent one I just don't think I should be painted out to be a villain either."

Tonks looked at Chelsea and rolled her eyes. "Men," she said. "But I must congratulate you on taming his wild heart. I think my friend would be a little disappointed but she will get over it eventually anyway."

"I'm sure she will," Remus said and Severus could tell from the reaction on Nymphadora's face that he said the wrong thing.

"So what's she like," Chelsea asked.

"She's okay, really moody, can't sit still but really she can't hold a candle to you Chelsea, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"Good to know." She said raising her glass of her orange juice. "So what about you Nymphadora, you said that you and Severus were on a date. How long have you two been seeing each other?"

He looked at her and he could tell that she was going to make up some elaborate lie. "We just started really, about two weeks ago."

"Oh so you two connected here, isn't that nice Remus."

By now Remus was looking so angry that he hardly even looked at his wife. He sat there glaring at a salt shaker like it had offended him in the worse way. "Wonderful," he said.

Chelsea looked at Nymphadora. "Is it weird that he used to be your teacher?"

"How did you know?" Nymphadora asked.

She tilted her head to Remus who sat back with his arms folded like he didn't believe that she and Severus were in any sort of relationship.

Tonks looked away form Chelsea and looked right at Severus. "Yes, he use to be my teacher but I can tell you since I was sixteen I had a fantasy of him fucking me right there in the classroom."

Seveus felt his eyes involuntarily go wide at what she had just said. Even though he didn't believe it the way she said it was very unsettling.

Chelsea looked at her with her eyes wide open. "Oh my, what was going on in that school Remus."

Remus voice sounded like he had enough of the conversation. "I don't know but in my day teachers didn't sleep with their students."

"Don't be silly I didn't sleep with him in Hogwarts, I said it was a fantasy. I sleep with him now, seeing as it's legal and all, why waste a good opportunity to have a man I fancy f..."

"I think it's getting late," Remus interrupted looking to Chelsea. "Mrs. Drake must be half asleep by now."

"I think you're right," Chelsea said as if coming out of a daze form what Nymphadora had just said. She stood up as Remus helped her out of her chair. "It was nice having the chat."

"Yes it was lovely, we really have to do this again," Nymphadora said with a smile that suggested that the evening was a success and nothing was wrong.

Remus and Chelsea left some money on the table and they walked out the restaurant without him saying anything to her or even looking at Severus.

"Fucking asshole," she said emptying her glass of its contents.

He folded his arms over his chest. "Are you completely insane?"

"Oh get off it. It's not like you've never heard a curse in you life."

"I was referring to the suggestion that you and I have any sort of sexual relationship. I don't want to get dragged in the middle of this."

"There's nothing to get dragged in the middle of. Besides what should he care, he has a wife."

"Believe it or not he still cares about you Nymphadora."

"I don't accept pity form anyone, not even that self righteous bastard.

Her body seemed to be emitting heat. Her brows were knitted, her arms folded and lingering under the angry face was a look that was tragically sad. He could tell that if he allowed her to sit and think about the whole encounter she would be reduced to sobbing mess in the restaurant. "It's best we be heading home," he said putting some money down on the table.

-o-o-

Because he was convinced that her reference to them having a sexual relationship was solely for the purpose of infuriating Remus he thought nothing of letting her crawl under the sheets with him that night. She moved under his arm like she usually did and rested her small palm on gently on his chest.

Seeing that they had negotiated the terms of their sleep and it was assured that they were both comfortable as possible, he allowed himself to begin to doze off into a sleep. Being a man with the past he had his state of sleep was never complete; he was always barely awake and the slightest disruption would rouse him.

He was in his semi asleep mode when he felt her hand leave his chest and began to travel further down his stomach. He thought nothing of it at the time; the sensation was not vulgar and it certainly wasn't unpleasant. It was actually having a soothing feeling that was allowing him to drift further into sleep.

He didn't know how far her hands had reached until he felt the sensation of her small hand stroking his member softly. At first he was quite removed from the situation and believed himself to be somewhere else so it was allowed to continue for some seconds.

However her sound of her voice had the effect of an electric shock surging trough his veins.

"Do you like it when I do that?" she asked

He opened one eye slowly and looked down to see a pink haired female with her hand deep in his sleeping trousers. "Nymphadora what are you doing?"

She giggled in a girlish laugh that made the situation even more outrageous. "Well I'm trying to get you in the mood."

"For what?" he grunted trough his teeth

"Brick laying. What do you think Severus."

His body was actually called into action when he realised that she was not mistaken and she knew exactly what she was doing. He took his hand that was not around her shoulder and pulled her hand out of his pants. "Have you gone crazy," he hissed at her.

His actions seemed to have offended her. She sprung up from the bed. "What's your problem?"

"I don't have a problem, but apparently you do. Why on earth would you think it's appropriate to touch a grown man like that?"

Her jaw dropped. "I am grown too Severus," she shouted.

He coughed at this. "You are not grown. You are like a little thing, running around with rosy cheeks and pink hair. I don't get aroused by little misses."

"I am not a child," she complained.

"I know you are not a child but you are certainly not a woman either. Don't mistake me for Remus Lupin I have no time for this."

She looked at him. "Are you seriously saying this."

"It would seem so, wouldn't it?"

She stared at him and then sat on the bed with her back against him. She seemed to mumbling but it wasn't to him she was having a conversation with herself. "Why doesn't anyone want me?" she asked in a whisper.

"Because I'm a joke," she concluded.

She never looked at him again. She got up form the bed and crossed to room to the door and headed out the room mumbling to herself some more. He listened to hear the closing of another door which meant that she went into her room and was not wondering around in the night. He slammed his head down on the pillow and looked at the ceiling.

He knew he hurt her feeling but he couldn't help it. He felt no sexual attraction to Nymphadora. In many ways he felt connected to her but it was because he appreciated what she had gone through. He had seen her struggle at school to deal with her parentage, he saw how insecurity plagued her as an adult but mostly he saw how heart broken she when she learnt the truth about Remus. His felt like it was his duty to comfort her because she was so much like himself. He knew the sort of pain she felt and he knew if he had someone there to just hold him and tell him that everything would be alright it would have been better. That was what he tried to do for her but she mistook his concern for flirtations.

He sighed. He would deal with it in the morning. He would tell her that she was drunk make her believe it. He would give her what she needed to be on her way to London. He could contact Horace Slughorn to secure a job for her and give her enough money to hold her over for a couple of months. She would be gone from the city by week's end. It would be good for her. It was not healthy to stay that close to Lupin.

NOTE: This story is so much fun to write but for some reason I'm not getting any reviews. Is it because that it's so long that you haven't reached this part yet?

Anyway if you read will you please review? I have a wonderful part three planned.


	3. Chapter 3

Warning: This is soooo long you will not believe it.

PARTIII

Nymphadora walked up the narrow flight of stairs and came to stop at a red door that had received a fresh coat of paint recently. She pressed the electric buzzer that emitted a melody beyond the door. There was a sense of déjà vu that made a smile come to her face. It had been two years since she had been at this place. She left there with tears flowing down her cheeks and bad memories. Now she was back and things were quite different. She was not by any means the happiest person alive but she was satisfied when her life and content with her self.

A small skinny teenager opened the door and looked up at her with wide eyes. "Is that you Miss Tonks?" he asked, looking at her with from head to toe.

"Yes it's me," she said laughing. "You look...exactly the same."

"No," he corrected. "I grew a full inch last year."

"Right," she nodded. "I don't know how I missed it."

"Let me get pa," he said. Tonks assumed he was running off to get Mr. Bates but instead he shouted at the top his lungs that she was at the door.

Mr. Bates came running out to the hall with an apron around his waist; he must have been cooking Lunch. He looked at her and tilted his head to the side and examined her. "Miss Tonks, how long has it been?" He reached out to her and hugged her like she was his grandchild. She laughed at hugged him in return.

"Come in, come in, don't stand in the hall." He pulled her in with her travelling bag and closed the door behind her. "You're so lucky little miss, we have a spear room; that strange man moved out."

She was a bit disappointed because she knew that the strange man he was talking about was Severus. She never expected that he wouldn't be there. She thought that he was quite settled here but she guessed she was wrong. "When did he leave?" she asked.

Mr Bates looked at her questioningly. "I heard form 29 that you were friends with him," he said. Mr bates wasn't good with names and sometimes he used numbers to refer to people. Number 29 was right next to her old room and she was certain that he would have heard and seen her coming and going from Severus' room and him coming and going from hers. There was really no point denying it.

"Yes, I knew him from London."

He opened his eyes wide like the idea of the man in thirty two knowing people was not only surprising but equivalent to paranormal activity. "I see," he said. "It's a pity he didn't leave an address."

"He's not the sort to leave addresses," she said.

"But I know he's still in the city. I saw him about two weeks ago, hardly looked my way."

She smiled at this. She wanted to see him again to thank him but all of this had to be done once she took care of business first.

-o-o-

Her main business in the city was Remus. Like, two years ago he was the reason she came to city. However this time she was invited there; he asked her to come. She surprised herself when she agreed to visit him. When she was back in London she was very angry at everyone for a very long time. She was mad at Remus, she was mad at Severus, she was mad at Chelsea but she was mostly mad at herself. There were days when she could bear her own reflection, no matter what face she adopted she would pin point everything that would make her unattractive. She tried to find reasons why Remus didn't want her and why Severus rejected her. Even when she morphed her face to look identical to Chelsea's she still found that she looked hideous and unattractive and nothing she ever did would help. She had spent so many days and nights crying into her pillow.

She decided almost a year ago that she would stop changing her appearance, her job as a Potion's Master's assistant didn't require it so there was no need for her to change. She decided that for once in very long time she would get comfortable with her own image. It was not an easy task. There were times when she wanted to hide every feature that she didn't find desirable but she decided against it. She took several painstaking months learning to love herself again. She didn't know by extension that she would learn to forgive everyone as well. When she felt the need to come to Remus' aid she had to ask herself why. She knew it wasn't because she loved him, she abandoned that long ago and it wasn't because she wanted to show him that she was doing fine without him. It was genuinely because he was her friend at least and he needed help and friends generally tried to help each other. Just like Severus had helped her when she needed it, she was going to help Remus.

-o-o-

She remembered the last time she stood outside this door. She had been so hopeful and full of excitement; it seemed so long ago because she had changed so much. She knocked three times on the old oak door and waited. Another two years had pass since she last saw Remus. That particular incident was fresh in her mind though. She had been so rude and down right vulgar that night in hopes of infuriating him. She actually entertained the idea of entering in a relationship with Severus Snape just to make him pissed. Now, it seemed like someone else who had those ridiculous ideas.

"Coming," She heard him say in a slow drawl that was worthy of Severus

He opened the door slowly and his face came into view. The Remus that stood before her was not the one from two years ago. Gone was the healthy glow that radiated form his features. He looked sickly and tired even compare to how he looked back in London.

"Tonks," he said. "You came." And he shifted away form her slightly.

She looked taken a back. "Stop being silly, give me a hug," she said. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around his body that somehow felt smaller to her. Her nose was tickled by a strange order strangling her lungs.

He pushed her gently off his body. "Please Tonks, I haven't showered."

"I can smell that?" she said smiling.

He looked slightly embarrassed but held the door open for her. "I have been trying to clean the place up," he said softly. "It can't seem to stay clean."

She walked in and looked around. If he had been cleaning she hated to imagine what it was like before he started. The floor was covered in old news papers and toys and goo that looked like something that had been regurgitated. There was milk spilled on the corner table with flies feasting on it. The couch in the room played host to a pile of laundry that she couldn't tell if it was clean or dirty. The air smelled like a wet dog had been rolling on the floor. But somehow she was more disturbed because in the mess she couldn't see the baby anywhere. "Ah Remus where's the baby."

"In the nursery, don't worry it's very clean." He said sensing her tone.

She knitted her brows together and sighed. "Why don't you go take a shower and I will clean this place up," she said.

"You don't have to do that. I can finish."

"No, I have to," she said quickly. She felt like if she stayed in this room for one more minute her head would explode.

"I'll just be a minute," he said softly, and she could hear the embarrassment in his tone.

"Take ten," she added as he walked to door that lead to another room.

Tonks looked around the room and scratched her brow. She took out her wand and decided to tackle the floor first. Her mother's spells seem to be just the thing that she needed and at the moment, they worked perfectly, maybe because she was so repulsed by the mess. She did it with the ease and accuracy of a person who had been a professional cleaner. She worked until every last corner of the room was spick and span. When she was finished she released a fragrance of berries in the room to lighten the air stale air that was circulating the room.

She took a seat when she was finished on the couch and began to fold the clothes that she discovered were actually clean despite their appearance. After about fifteen minutes Remus finally came out of the bedroom wearing a fresh suit of clothes. "That was really quick," he said looking around the room.

"My mother knew every household spell there was. I take it that you don't know much."

"Not really," he said. He didn't sit next to her. Instead she could hear that he took a seat by the round table that was in the room. She got up from the couch and joined him at the table.

"So how is Chelsea's mother, is she much better."

"She's worse I'm afraid, she might be gone any day now."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she said.

A month ago Remus wrote Tonks asking her for help. He said that Chelsea had been in Portugal with their oldest son Dodger talking care of her ailing mother. Basically he needed someone to help him for a while until he found a suitable nanny to take care of his youngest child Abel. He said for some reason the child had not responded well to any of the people he hired. She knew that Remus was not the kind of man to be so cruel to ask his wife to leave her mother to stay with the baby. She knew that he really needed help. To make matters worse he still had to go trough his transformation every month. What sort of person would she be if she let a werewolf roam in the presence of a baby? She knew that he would never forgive himself if anything ever happened to his child. She knew that she had to help him. Besides it was only until Chelsea returned.

He passed his hand through his hair and let out a heavy sigh. "I miss her," he said.

"Well you should, she's your wife."

He nodded with a far away look in his eyes. There seemed to be some sadness there but she assumed it was a surrogate emotion for his wife loosing her most beloved mother. She looked at him and tilted her head to catch his eyes. "It will be okay you know, when she comes back everything will be as right as rain."

His eyes seem to come back to their moment and he looked at her. He had a strange expression on his face. "You look different somehow," he said.

"Really," she said. "It must be because I'm sporting my actual face these days."

"I have seen your real face before and that's not it," he said, like he was so certain.

She let out a slow drawn out laugh. "This is my face; I have never shown my real face to you until now."

He stared at as if trying to determine if it was true of not, after a moment he looked away and said, "Oh,"

-o-o-

All the time she spent in the city before she never actually got to see it. The times when she walked about the streets she had been so busy thinking about Remus she never had time to appreciate her surroundings. The buildings themselves were works of art. No one building looked alike; they all looked like they had walked off their foundation that was some where in Venice, Barcelona, Paris and all the other beautiful cities in the world and settled there. There was also the fact the road itself was a work of art. She privileged just to walk to it. But the most beautiful part of the city was the ocean.

On the outskirts of the city there was a boardwalk. This was the only place where you could have an unobstructed view of the water. After leaving Remus's apartment found herself walking along the wooden path with the sound of the ocean rushing beneath her feet. The sun was threatening to set on the horizon. It looked abnormally large as it acted as a magnet to the violet clouds that were in the sky.

She walked on looking at all the sea birds try to make their curfew. Flying everywhere their voices were filling the sky. She was so hypnotized by their sound she wanted to sit and enjoy it for a little. She looked to her right and saw a bench painted in a coat of thick royal blue paint that had a single occupant. The gentleman sat with his face buried in a book as if trying to beat the dying light. She took a seat on the far end of the bench and closed her eyes letting the scents and sounds fill her.

"Nymphadora," she head from next to her. It was a delightfully familiar voice that carried over the sound of the crying birds. She opened her left eye only and looked the person who said it. Sure enough it was Severus Snape with an unreadable expression on his face.

"I thought I had seen the last of you," he said mockingly.

By then she had opened her eyes and her body was facing his. She couldn't help but smile. She thought that she would take forever to find him but there he was, right next to her. She reached out and wrapped her arms around him. He felt so stiff in her embrace, an aftermath of the last time she tried to touch him. "Severus, I was hoping I would run into you." She undid her arms from around him and looked at him. His face looked just as it did before, there was a slight sign of a beard coming in on his well shaped jaw but that was the only difference she could spot.

"So you're here again, can I ask why?"

His manners were lacking as always and she would admit to herself that she would have been disappointing if it wasn't. He was always delightfully predictable.

"I'm here for Remus."

He made a noise and rolled his eyes at this.

"No, no, no, not like that. He asked to help him with something. His wife is in Portugal sitting with her mother who's dying, didn't he tell you."

He looked at her with his brows knitted. "You look different," he said out of the blue.

She laughed. "Oh I'm not morphed."

He looked down at her with his long hooked nose from head to toe and then back to head again. "Is that what you look like?"

"Yes, this is pretty much it," she said. She wasn't even going to bother to ask him what that look was about as Severus' facial expressions were unreadable because he wanted it to be.

"So what's the tragedy this time? Why have you lost your powers?"

She opened her mouth in pretend shock. "I'll have you know Mr. Severus Snape that all my powers are in tact. I just don't morph anymore unless it is necessary and I have to admit that it is hardly ever so."

He made a hmm noise that could have been interpreted for him being please or him being totally uninterested.

"As I was saying," Nympadora continued when she realised the 'hmm' was his last contribution to the conversation. "Chelsea's mother is sick and he needs a little hand. I had a vacation coming out so I decided why not."

"Is that what he told you," he said.

"What's that supposed to mean."

He didn't answer the question. "You are dedicating your vacation to him, how touching. I disappointed to see that you are still fanning those flames."

She laughed at this because there was no truth to it. "I'm not fanning those flames, they are very much extinguished but I still consider him a friend so I decided to help him out a bit. I'm glad I did; he's in a bit of a mess isn't he."

"I'd hardly call it a bit. I guess that's where you come in. It must be wonderful to have someone come and clean up your mess, lucky man."

She gripped his forearm. "Okay Severus. I'm not going to argue with you anymore. Walk with me."

"I was doing something before you came here," he said matter-of-factly.

"The light is fading, it's impossible to read. Walk with me," she demanded rising from the bench. He grunted and got up from the bench, storing his book in a bag.

"Where are we walking to?" he asked sounding frustrated.

"You live here, lead the way." She said. He set off in the direction she came from and walked in a slow pace. She met up with him and passed her hand trough his arms and walked by his side. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"I am going home; I don't know where you're going."

"So why did you leave the boarding house?"

"I'm a grown man, I value my privacy. Besides I never intended to stay there long."

"Okay, I can understand that. Why didn't you leave an address?"

"I didn't want to be found. But it seems like my luck ran out today." He looked at her when he said this, his eyes scanning her face once more. "You really do look very different. It's bizarre really."

"Why is it that everyone keeps telling me that? I'm starting to take it as an insult," she said laughing.

"I didn't mean it as an insult."

"Was it a compliment," she asked.

"No," he replied.

She sighed and they continued to walk in the direction he was going. The night that had fallen was a beautiful one. The stars were sprinkled all over the velvet sky looking down on them. There was a sliver of a moon in the sky that hardly provided any light. The boardwalk was lit with lights had glowed softly behind their shade. Had her company been someone else it would have been a very romantic night. Instead she was stuck with Severus who was repeatedly questioning her as if she was on trial.

"Should I write you a book," she finally said.

"That's not necessary, I was just- eh- wondering if you making good use of your time."

"Do you approve?" she asked teasingly.

"Mostly," he said.

They walked and walked until they hit parts that were familiar to her. She realised that he was taking her home. She specifically remembered him saying that he was going home but somehow he was walking her home.

When they reached to the narrow staircases that lead to Mystic Boarding House, he stopped. "I think you can find your way form here?" he said teasingly.

"Come up to my room with me?" she said.

He looked at her with raised brows. "I think its best I leave."

She looked at him and laughed in amusement. She could tell from the look on her face he thought she had some activities planed for the night. "I have something for you Severus, that's all."

"Something?"

"A book," she added quickly.

-o-o-

"I ran into Severus yesterday," she said to Remus. "He looks good doesn't he?"

Remus made a noise that meant that he was not interested in answering the question.

"I told him I was here to see you and he wasn't very pleased."

"What did he say?" Remus asked quickly.

"A whole lot of nothing," she replied. She took the powder and sprinkled it on the baby. She raised up the disposable diapers and fastened them around the little baby boy. "And that is how you change a diaper properly."

He smiled and looked at her. "I never quite got that."

"Happy to help," she said picking up the baby slowly. She held the baby in a playfull manner. "You look so much like your mommy," she said in a baby voice. The child giggled down at her. He did look a lot like Chelsea; he had ice blond hair and the same striking pair of blue eyes. "I bet you can't wait till she comes home."

"You'll make a good mother Tonks," Remus said out of the blue.

She held the baby securely as she handed it over to Remus. "Hardly," she said. "It's very easy to look after a child for a couple of minutes. I think I will go mad if I have to do it full time."

He nodded and looked at her closely, he was actually gazing. She looked at him questioningly and tucked her shoulder length chocolate brown hair behind her ears. "You really do look very different."

She sighed. "I swear if I hear that one more time..."

"But you do, and it's not just that your face is different, it's something else," he whispered. Holding the baby in his arms he continued to stare at her and for one moment she was certain she was something in his eyes that she did not like.

"I think I should be going," she said quickly.

"Can't you stay for dinner?"

"Eh-no. I am actually eating with Severus tonight."

"Really," he said and he sounded almost disappointed.

"Yes," she said stepping away form him. "So next week you start taking the potion, I'll see you then?" she said.

"Yes, of course." He said. She looked at him as he looked at her. She nodded and made her way to the door. When she stepped outside she was very relieved. She did not like the look that he gave her. It was very unsettling.

-o-o-

Severus spent an absurd amount of time trying to figure out what it was about Nymphadora that had changed and even more time trying to figure out why the change was having such as effect on him. When she invited him to her room to give him a book he actually entertained the idea that it was more than a book she had invited him. He would have been happy if she had asked him to stay for a glass of wine, but she didn't. He battled with the fact that she did not desire to spend anymore time with him. When she was there before, she couldn't sleep if she wasn't next to him, now she seemed to be doing just fine without having his company at all. She talked about all the things she planed to do while in the city and none of them included him. She used to try to drag him along wherever she went when she was there before.

He decided that he would squeeze himself into her schedule. Why he felt the need to do this, he had no idea. He told her that he wanted to hear more about what she was doing, which was the truth but it was really so he could have her around him. Nymphadora was the one person he knew that was similar to him in anyway and that was the reason he always felt a connection to her and that was the reason he always wanted spend time with her, and why he didn't mind when she would creep into his bed and wrap her arms around him. She was good to have around. Besides, the more time she spent with him the less time she spent with Remus, which was the last thing he wanted.

He looked at her while he poured a glass of wine into the empty glass and handed it to her. She took it in her delicate hands and swirled in the glass and brought it to her nose. "Concord, nice."

"Aren't you a budding alcoholic," he said with humour in his voice.

"So where's the food?" she asked, ignoring his comment.

He poured his glass of wine and looked at her with raised eyebrows. He hated to eat in front of people. "This is the food," he said simply.

"I hate to break it to you but when you invite someone to your home for dinner, there's usually food involved."

"Do you really mind?" he asked, taking a seat next to her on the sofa.

"Well I am actually hungry if that's what you're asking."

He rolled his eyes in frustration. "You are so difficult to please," he complained. He got up and leaving his glass of wine on the table and walked over to his kitchen. When he rented the apartment, it came furnished and a refrigerator was one of the things it came with. He didn't have much food since he ate out all the time but there was something he had picked up for her earlier in the day. He took one of his normal dishes and transfigured it into a sparkling white China saucer. He reached out into the refrigerator and took out cake that was sitting solitary on the shelves. He took a knife and cut a considerably large slice and placed it on the saucer. He placed the cake back inside and closed the door. He took the saucer with a dessert fork and carried it to her. He placed it on the table in front of her.

"Oh my god," she said slowly. "I can't believe you had me here for ten minutes and you didn't tell me you had this sitting in your kitchen." Her hands reached down and grabbed it immediately. She took the fork in one hand and dug it into the cake. She took it to her mouth and threw her head back and moaned when she tasted the first piece. "I'm in heaven," she said.

He shifted slightly as he watched her devour the cake piece by piece all the while making noises that sounded like she was in the deepest state of pleasure imaginable. He left her to it.

"I haven't had Bavarian Cream cake in two years. I couldn't find it anywhere in London," she said between pieces. "Severus, I can kiss you right now."

It was weird because the moment she said that he realised what it was that changed about her to him. He no loner felt like she was a little thing he needed to take care of anymore, the idea of her touching him in anyway sexual didn't seem to disturbing anymore, in fact he longed for it. He couldn't understand why she didn't went around with her natural face more. Granted her skin wasn't perfect like delicate porcelain anymore, there were now very faint lines that showed she had aged. She did not have the look of someone who had just come out of their teens. She looked like a woman. Her rich choacolate brown hair cascading over her shoulders in waves, were begging to be touched. The slightest bit of cleavage that teased his eyes were glowing softly in the light, her hips seemed rounder and more womanly. She had suddenly become everything he wanted to see in her woman.

When she spoke it wasn't in a playful manner to hide her insecurities like she use to do. Everything was said with authority, there were times when she actually commanded him to do things and it drove him insane, even more so than the times when she completely ignored things that he would tell her. She seemed like someone living out their plan. It was disturbingly attractive to him. Suddenly she had become everything he wanted in a woman.

"Do you ever watch the fishermen come in from a fishing trip?" he said before he could stop himself.

She looked at him with a face that was worthy of the bizarre question he asked her. "What?' she asked, resting the cake on the table?

He repeated the question slowly because he already said it and couldn't take it back.

"No," she said like it was obvious.

"Fisherman rowing homeward in the dusk, no not consider the stillness through which they move. It is a very attractive quality to posses; a quiet confidence."

She looked at him and bit bottom lip as if trying to read him. "I hardly believe that you are trying to tell me that you think fishermen are attractive.

He brought his brows together and let out a heavy, laboured sigh. "How do you sit there and throw your head back in almost orgasmic delight and not care that I am watching you?"

She pouted her lips and looked deep into his eyes. If he didn't know any better he's say she was using occlumency on him but he was too much of a master at detecting it for it to go unnoticed. "It's pretty easy when you give a starving woman a piece of heaven in a slice," she said. His mind almost imploded when she referred to herself as a woman. "It's hardly an art at all."

"Walk with me, come up to my room with me. When did begin to give me commands."

She laughed lightly. "Does it bother you?"

"What is it that moves you do that?"

She sighed and shrugged not taking her eyes his, still peering into him, seeking out his soul. "I don't know," she said with an ironically knowing smirk on her face.

"That's the quiet confidence I speak of, the one that you're not even aware you possess. That is what I believe has changed about you."

He leaned in slowly because he knew that she would not make that move. In the past she would have done it but she was mature enough now to allow herself to be pursued. He took her hand and pulled her closer to him. He cupped her face in the palms of his hand, never breaking eye contact. "Can I have you?" he whispered.

-o-o-

"Tonks told me that she was having dinner with you about a week ago, how did that go?"

Severus glanced over his shoulder at Remus who was holding his baby, trying to quiet down the crying that filled the room the moment his next door neighbour came in the room. She had long left and the child hadn't stopped crying. "Does that child ever stop crying," Severus asked.

"He just doesn't like strangers," Remus said trying to hush the child. "The dinner, how was it?"

"I can't see how it can be of any consequence to you."

"I was just wondering," he said defensively.

"You were not. I know what you are doing and I will advice to stop it."

"What am I doing?" Remus asked annoyed.

He turned his body to him fully so he could read his facial expression. "Why didn't you tell Nymphadora that Chelsea left you?"

Remus' expression stiffened immediately. "Don't talk about what you don't know Snape."

"Oh, but I do know. I can tell what your intentions are," he sneered. "You should know that it is a vain hope."

Remus stood still as the child began to settle in his arms. "I cannot allow you speak that way to me. You know nothing of the relationship Tonks and I have."

He walked over to him. "I know that you walked out on her before and at the first sign of trouble you will do it again, just like your wife."

Remus knew that if it wasn't the child in his hands he would slap Severus across the face. Instead he started to hum a song to his child, to induce sleepiness. He couldn't just say anything he wanted to Snape, he was the man who made the potion that kept him from killing his own offspring for the past six years.

"I'll advice you to tell her the truth or else I will have to, and we all know how she loves being lied to."

The idea of him being threatened by Severus Snape sank in. When did this happen. Why was it that he was standing here with no wife, a child and Snape accusing him using one of his closest friends and someone he cared about so deeply?

-o-o-

Tonks had long resigned the idea of relationships. She always thought that they ended badly and it was hardly worth it at all. This is what she told Severus but it didn't stop them form spending every subsequent night together. This was the same man who told her that she was a little misses and he could never be aroused by her. The room would be so hot with the heat radiating form his body that they will have to leave the window open.

When the night fell on his apartment, there would be flashes of light creeping in the room every ten seconds. The almost blinding light from the light house would illuminate certain parts of his body that made it look like silver in the dark of the night. She would look down at him as he slept next to her and smile.

He used to be a very light sleeper but after exhausting his energy on her he would fall into a deep sleep with his hands still reaching out for her. It wasn't that she didn't care for him, she did. She felt a lot for him but it was feelings that she couldn't allow herself to have. She couldn't be fooled again. She was smarter than that now.

-o-o-

Tonks sat opposite Remus glaring at him. He had just told her that his wife was not in Portugal and she had actually left him and took Dodger with her. "So what was the purpose of bringing me here; to act like some sort of surrogate mother for Abel?"

"No," he protested. "I really did need your help."

"Did you even try to find a sitter Remus?" she asked with her hand on her hip.

"I tried everyone but Abel has a problem, I don't what is it?"

"That his father is a deceitful bastard, no?" she questioned.

Remus shook his head and covered his face with his hands. "No, he cries all the time."

"He's not crying now."

"He threw a knife at Chelsea."

"He's baby he doesn't know what he is doing?" Tonks complained.

He shook his head. "He does, it's like he is possessed. He summoned the knife and launched it at her with his eyes. He did it five times. It hit her three time."

She looked at him having a feeling like he was the worst liar in the world. "If he is such an evil baby how come he has never given me trouble?"

He sighed. "He doesn't give me trouble, he doesn't give you trouble, he didn't give Severus trouble last month but if anyone without magical blood comes near him he just cries and cries. Chelsea had to leave, she couldn't take it; she didn't understand it. I don't understand it."

Tonks looked at him he was almost on the verge of tears. She was angry as hell but she had a feeling that what he was saying was true. There was something wrong with his baby. "Does Severus know what it is?" she asked.

"He hardly thinks anything is wrong with him, he thinks he is cranky but I know how his mood changes when he is around a muggle."

She looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Well I can only conclude that you or Chelsea have done something piss a very powerful wizard off. I think it might be a curse."

"A curse, on a child, who would do that?"

She shrugged. "It could be a latent curse, something you did years ago that has just started to affect you. Working as an Auror I use to see a lot of strange things. But this, this is worthy of You Know Who."

"You think he placed a curse on me?" he said. She had never heard Remus sound so genuinely scared about something.

"Well didn't you teach Defense Against The Dark Arts, it could be that. Everyone who has ever thought that subject is severely miserable. It could be that it started to act because you were finally happy."

He sighed and slummed in the chair. "What am I going do?"

"Don't worry," she said to him. All her anger had not yet abated; she would not have been opposed to the idea of letting him worry. "Once the caster is dead the curse becomes very easy to break. You can go to any Blightbreaker and have it fixed."

"Are you serious, tell me you are serious."

"That's how it usually works. So you can start looking for Chelsea now because this should be fixed in no time at all."

He looked at her with tears in his eyes and a hand over his mouth. She saw the look in his eyes again, the one that he gave her the other night that scared her. At first she thought that he was falling back in love her but now she had no idea what it was.

-o-o-

"Can't you stay here, with me?" Severus asked her, as she packed her bags. "You won't have to work, I can take care of you or you can find a job here I am sure. Do you really need to go back to London?"

She looked at him and tilted her head to side. "Do you really want be around, bothering you all the time." She had once given up everything for a man and she was not about to do it again. No matter how she felt about him.

He was silent. He looked at her as she took pieces of clothes form her chest of drawers and packed them in the travelling bag. More than five minutes had passed since he last spoke. "I have fallen in love with Nymphadora," he said in an almost inaudible whisper.

She was inclined to pretend that she didn't hear it but instead she stopped her actions and sat next to him. Every bone in her body wanted to repeat those words but she couldn't allow herself to. "Love is nothing but an antique hoax Severus."

"Do you believe that? Are you that cynical?"

She took his hand in hers. "Yes, but I will allow you the chance to prove me wrong." She dropped his hands and continued her packing. She had a train to catch.

-o-o-o-

FOUR MONTHS LATER

Tonks walked around the corner with the cold London air hitting her cheeks. Snow flakes danced in the air around her as she shoved her hands in her pockets. She stopped at a short flight of stairs and ascended them as quickly as her almost frozen joints would allow. As she walked down the hall she could hear the faint sounds of her neighbours stereo playing a Christmas carol.

She took out her wand and opened the door to her apartment. The pitch black of her flat made her think of Severus. She hadn't seen or spoken to him since she left him in her room at the boarding house that day. There were times when the slightest thing would make her think of him. It was almost nauseating to imagine how it would feel to have his arms around her on that cold night.

She flicked on the switch at the entrance of the door. The first thing that stood out for her was the solitary figure that sat on the sofa in the living room with his head in being propped up by his elbows. She recognised it right away. She dropped her bag and pulled her scarf from around her neck and tossed it aside. She walked to the figure and sat next to him.

"What took you so long?" she asked

"I had to teach Chelsea how to brew Wolfsbane; believe it or not but with absolutely no magical ability she is still better at Potions than Lupin."

She took his hand and gripped it hers. "How do you feel," she asked trying to catch his eyes.

"Scared," he said. "I now know what it is like to leave everything behind for someone. I sympathize with you."

She pulled him close to her and let her lips brushed against him. "I love you," she heard herself whisper to him.

"I thought you said that love is an antique hoax?" he asked, all the while pulling her closer to him and kissing her between every word.

"I told you to prove me wrong and you did." She didn't want to be the one to make the grand gesture this time. It was too painful. She couldn't go through that pain again. But there he was willing do that for her. She did love him but she wasn't going to be reckless with her heart as before. It was so easy to say something and not mean it. She wanted to be certain that when he said it he meant it, meant it as much as she did.

THE END

OMG: That was the longest chapter I ever written in my life. I felt like it would never finish. The page numbers just kept going and going and going. I hope someone was actually able to finish this chapter. I actually had to cut some of the Snape and Tonks romance. It would have been so long. I didn't intend for her to want to sleep with her so quickly. Sorry if he came off as randy. I did have this as a Tonks, Lupin and Snape story so I had to put them all in it.

But we got our Snape/ Tonks in the end right.

Let me apologize for the errors. Since this is so long there is NO doubt in my mind that there are countless errors.

And finally I have to put a disclaimer at the end. fishermen rowing homeward in the dusk...they move. and the term antique hoax are not mine. They are form the poem The Harbour, from the selection In a Green Night by Derek Walcott.

I really liked this poem and it was actually the inspiration for the setting of the story. So there you have it; the end at last.

Thanks bundles and don't forget to leave a review.


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